Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to an X-ray imaging system, an information processing apparatus, methods for controlling them, and a recording medium, and in particular relates to an X-ray imaging system for acquiring an x-ray image as digital image data by A/D conversion and transmitting the digital image data by wireless communication, an information processing apparatus, methods for controlling them, and a recording medium.
Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, digital x-ray imaging apparatuses for diagnosis have been commercialized that acquire x-ray image data from an x-ray sensor that was irradiated with x-rays, obtain digital x-ray image data by A/D conversion, and perform image processing on the digital x-ray image data. In conventional digital x-ray imaging apparatuses, in general, x-ray sensors are installed on stages or beds when used. Meanwhile, in some cases, x-ray sensors need to be freely positioned without being fixed when performing imaging, depending on imaging methods.
To meet such needs, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-172783 discloses an apparatus in which a thin and lightweight x-ray sensor is employed so that the apparatus can be easily handled. Further, Japanese Patent No. 3494683 discloses an apparatus in which an x-ray sensor wirelessly connects to a synchronous repeater, thereby eliminating limitation of installation deriving from cables of the x-ray sensor.
To provide high-quality x-ray images, the pixel pitch in an x-ray sensor is about 100 to 200 μm, and the density resolution of 16 bits is used. Also, assuming a half-cut (43×35 cm) image area size, the data size of one image is approximately 7.5 to 30 MBytes. To perform imaging at free positions and display an x-ray image on a display or the like at a speed of several seconds after acquisition of x-ray image data of this size, a wireless communication unit is also required to achieve adequate high-speed performance. Therefore, to readily achieve high-speed performance, wireless communication using a radio wave method is employed.
If, for example, wireless LAN technology is employed as a communication method, it is necessary, in order to establish wireless connection between devices, to configure identical settings of an SSID (Service Set Identifier), an authentication method, an encryption type, an encryption key, and the like among the devices to be connected. Usually, these settings are set manually in both devices to be wirelessly connected, or are set by a push-button method defined in WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) or by a PIN code method that is also defined in WPS, or the like.
Also, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-224156 discloses, as a method for conveniently configuring these settings, a method in which a user configures settings by connecting a device that the user carries to another device to which the user wants to establish wireless connection, or by bringing these two devices close to each other, or by pointing the direction of the device to which the user wants to establish wireless connection.
Meanwhile, in the case of configuring settings manually, input operations are always needed, and the possibility that connection cannot be established due to an operation error cannot be eliminated. In the PIN code method of WPS, a PIN code needs to be input usually by using a keyboard or the like on a master device side for a slave device that outputs the PIN code. Also, in the push-button method of WPS and in the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-224156, special operations that are not required in usual workflows of an x-ray imaging apparatus are necessary, such as simultaneously pressing or touching buttons of both a slave device and a master device, or bringing these devices close to each other.